Fabric and method of making the same



March 27, 1945. c. E. JOHNSON ET AL FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed June 16, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l [vvszvroes CARL E. JOHNSON DA v/o M CLARK March 27, 1945. c, JOHNSON ETAL 2,372,497

FABRIC Ami METHOD OF MAKING'THE SAME Filed June 16, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 ma 8 I /NVENTORS C'ARL E. JOHNSON DA v10 M. CLARK ATTOI NEYJ Patented Mar. 27,1945

FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Carl E. Johnson, Leicester, and David M. Clark, Worcester, Mass, assignors to David Clark Company. Inc., Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 16, 1943, Serial No. 490,976

Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fabrics, and more particularly to a fabric which may well be termed a stuffed" fabric.

An object of the invention is to provide a stuffed fabric comprising two knitted webs spaced apart to receive a suitable filler therebetween, said webs being secured together by knitting a loop of one. web thru a loop of the other web at intervals throughout the fabric, whereby the two webs and the filler are tied together to provide a composite flexible fabric.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stuffed fabric comprising two knitted webs having a suitable relatively thick, flufiy filler material interposed therebetween during the knitting operation, and said webs and filler material being secured together at uniformly spaced intervals by knitting predetermined stitches of the yarn of one web thru the predetermined stitches of the yarn of the other web, thereby to' provide a relatively thick flexible composite fabric.

A further object resides in a novel method of making a stuffed fabric on a conventional knitting machine which consists in simultaneously knitting two webs in spaced relation and guiding a suitable filler material between said webs as they are being knitted, and simultaneously securing together said webs and filler material by knitting a'loop of the yarn of one webthru the loop of the other web at spaced intervals throughout the fabric, thereby to provide a composite fabric suitable for wearing apparel and various other uses.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an exaggerated view showing a portion of our improved fabric and indicating the filler material interposed between the two webs; Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the tie loops or stitches which I secure to ether the two webs;

of a knitting machine showing the manner of knitting the two webs;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing one of the dial needles about to engage the loo of the yarn of the outer web and pull it into knitting engagement with the inner web;

Figure 5 shows a tie loop pulled through a loop of the inner web;

Figure 6 is a view showing how the filler material may be guided into the space between the two webs during the knitting operation;

Figure '7 is a view showing a small section of our improved fabric with one of the knitted webs partially detached to show the condensed condition of the filler material, when the webs contract to their normal condition after being knitted;

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view indicating a plurality of a lmitting machine feeds, and the location where the filler or stuiilng material may be guided between the two webs.

In the selected embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, there is shown in Figure 2, an exaggerated plan view of a section of our improved fabric which comprises two independently knit webs 2 and 3. For the sake of clarity, the web 2 will hereinafter 'be referred to as the outer or face web, and the web 3 the inner or back web. These webs are spaced apart in the operation of knitting the fabric, as shown in Figure 2, to receive therebetween a suitable filler, generally designated by the numeral 4.

To afford a clearer understanding of the operation of producing the novel fabric herein disclosed, there is diagrammatically illustrated in Figures 3 to 6, inclusive, the needle carriers of a conventional knitting machine of the type com-,

prising a cylinder 5, which carries the usual cylinder needles 6, and a dial 1 which carries the horizontally disposed dial needles 8. The dial 1 is mounted within the cylinder 5, near the uppermost end thereof, as is well known. The cylinder needles 6 and dial needles 8 are operated by the usual cams of the knitting machine as is well known in the art, and it is therefore deemed unnecessary to herein illustrate such cams. A yarn guide 9 feeds the yarn II to the cylinder needles 6, and a similar yarn guide l2 indicated in Figure 9, feeds the yarn H to the dial needles 8.

As hereinbefore stated, the novel fabric herein disclosed is shown comprising two tubular webs which are simultaneously knitted on the knittin machine, whereby one is disposed within the other during the knitting operation. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to tubular webs, as our improved fabric may be constructed of webs which are not tubular knit.

Fabric knitted in the above manner is commonly known to the trade as Duo-fabric, and the two webs are united together at predetermin'ed points during the process of knitting, by causing the yarn of one of the webs to engage with the other web, such engagement being in the form of loops or stitches. By preference, a portion of the yarn between the wales of one web is inter-stitched or looped with one of the loops of a wale of the other web, whereby the appearance of the face of the fabric will not be materially modified or altered by the tying stitches.

In producing the fabric, the 'two single webs 2 and 3 are knitted simultaneously, the yarn guide 9 feeding its yarn to the cylinder needles only, and the yarn guide 12 feeding its yarn l3 t the dial needles. Suitable cams, not shown, are provided in the cam carrier M for periodically projecting one of the dial needles outwardly to receive yarn from the yarn guide 9, whereby a loop or stitch l5 of the yarn H of the web 2 is drawn thru a loop or stitch I6 of the inner web 3, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, thereby tying the two webs together by spaced tying loops or stitches [5, as will be clearly understood by reference to the drawing. The tying loops or stitches are preferably uniformly spaced throughout the finished fabric, as shown in Figure 8, and

I .the spacing therebetween may be widely varied in accordance with the particular fabric being produced.

The above described method of producing a Duo-fabric is well known in the artand no claim is herein 'made to the construction of such a fabric.

One of the important features of the present invention and which, to the best of our knowledge, has never heretofore been attempted, is to produce on a conventional knitting machine, what may well be termed a "stuffed fabric, embodying two single webs knitted simultaneously on a single knitting machine and during the knitting operation thereof, guiding or feeding a suitable filler material between the two webs and securing it in place therebetween by tying stitches or loops l5, 'hereinbefore described.

To thus produce the novel stuffed fabric herein disclosed, the dial 1 is so adjusted with respect to the cylinder 5, that the webs 2 and 3 are spaced apart sufficiently to receive therebetween a suitable filler material, generally designated by the numeral ll. The filler material may vary considerably in size and texture, depending upon the desired thickness and density of the finished fabric, shown in Figures 7 and. 8. Preferably, it is in the form of a heavy loosely woven cord or yarn, as shown in Figure 6, which is fed or guided into the space between the two webs by a suitable guide l8.

During the knitting operation of the two webs, said webs are under tension in a vertical direction to cause the loops engaged with the needles to snugly hug the shanks of the needles, whereby the pivoted cast off levers IQ of the needles may be operated by the loops, as is well known in the art.

The filler cord or yarn ll guided into the space between the two webs by the guide I8, is preferably under very slight tension, whereby it is delivered into the spaces between the two webs substantially inits normal unstretched state.

Because of the filler cord or yarn being thus guided into the space between the two webs su stantially without tension, when the two webs contract, upon leaving the knitting needles, the filler cord or yarn will be contracted in a longitudinal direction, because of being delivered between the webs at the point of knitting without tension, whereby the filler material or yarn may take on substantially the "wavy form shown at A, in Figure '7. As a result of being thus contracted or condensed between the two webs 2 and 3, the' cord or yarn l 'l produces a very soft'compact filler between the two webs, resulting in a composite fabric which is extremely soft and flexible, which readily lends itself for use in the manufacture of garments and numerous other articles.

The filler material, instead of being in the form of a coarsely woven cord or yarn, may be in the form of unwoven elongated strands which for the sake of handling and to facilitate guiding each other, as hereinbefore stated.

In Figure 9 there is diagramatically illustrated a knitting machine having 8 conventional yarn feeds, four cylinder feeds and four dial feeds, indicated by the reference characters C and D, respectively.

In Figure 9, the filler material ll is shown guided to the webs 2 and 3 by a single guide it, but it is to be understood that, if desired, two or more such guides may be provided for simultaneously delivering two or more filler yarns or cords between the webs, without departing from the scope of the invention.

The novel stuffed fabric herein disclosed has been found very useful in the manufacture of wearing apparel, because it may be made extremely soft and flexible, and its density is such that it provides the utmost in warmth and comfort. Also. because the thickness of the fabric may readily be varied to suit conditions. The fabric may be used in the manufacture of various other articles, as will readily be understood.

It wfll be apparent to those skilled in the art that we have accomplished at least the principal objects of our invention, and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments herein described may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specifically described, hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiments are illustrative only, and that our invention is not limited thereto.

We claim as our invention:

1. A fabric of the class described, comprising two knitted webs, a suitable filler interposed between said webs under relatively lighter tension than the tension applied to the threads forming said webs, and said webs being secured together at intervals by knitting a loop of the yarn of one web singly thru a loop of the other web, thereby 'a,a72,4e7

vtively thick flexible composite fabric the relato provide a relatively thick composite flexible fabric the relatively lighter tension applied to the filler material causing said material'to become condensed between said webs in the completed fabric, thereby to substantially eliminate voids between said webs.

2. A fabric ofthe class described, comprising two tubular knitted webs, one disposed within the other and spaced therefrom, a suitable soft cordlike filler guided into the space between said webs during the knitting operation, and under relatively lighter tension than the tension applied to the threads forming said webs, and said webs and filler being secured together by knitting a loop of the yarn of one web singly thru a loop of the other web at spaced intervals, thereby to provide a relatively thick composit flexible stuffed fabric the relatively lighter tension applied to the filler material causing said material to become condensed between said webs in the completed fabric, thereby to substantially eliminate voids between said webs.

3. A stuffed fabric comprising two knitted webs, a relatively thick fluffy strand-like filler material guided between said webs under relatively lighter tension than the tension applied to the threads forming said webs, and said webs and filler material being secured together at uniformly spaced intervals throughout the fabric by knitting predetermined stitches of the yarn of one web singly thru predetermined stitches of the yarn oi the other web, thereby to provide a relatively lighter tension applied to the filler material causing said material to become condensed between said webs in the completed fabric, thereby btso substantially eliminate voids between said we 4. A method of making a stuffed fabric. which consists in simultaneousl knitting tensioned threads into two webs spaced apart to provide a space therebetween, guiding a suitable filler material between said webs under relatively less tension than that applied to said threads as the webs are being knitted, and simultaneously securing together said webs by knitting a loop of the yarn of one web singly thru a loop of the other web at spaced intervals, thereby to provide a composite fabric. a

5. A method of making a stuffed fabric, which consists in simultaneously knitting a plurality of tensioned threads into two tubular webs, one within the other and spaced apart to provide an annular space therebetween, feeding a suitable .filler between said webs during the knitting operation and under relatively less tension than the tension applied to said threads, and simultaneously securing together said webs by knitting a stitch of one web singly thru a stitch of the other web at uniformly spaced intervals, thereby to provide a composite flexible fabric which is substantially fre from voids.

CARL E. JOHNSON. DAVID M. CLARK. 

